The professor sees Palin as a viable contender to potentially serve as running mate to Newt Gingrich, should he emerge as the GOP nominee. "Such a partnership is not out of the question,” Tatge tells the publication, adding that he believes that Palin would likely need to "atone for quitting the job of governor."

Gloria Goodale writes, "Less-likely candidates, he says, have made it to the top spot. 'Consider the former B-movie actor who was seen as a bit of a lightweight with a messy divorce in his past,' says Professor Tatge, 'and Ronald Reagan not only got elected but went on to become a two-term president.' "

Mark Tatge's long career in journalism has included stints as Midwest bureau chief for Forbes magazine, as an investigative reporter at the Cleveland Plain Dealer's statehouse bureau, and positions with the Wall Street Journal, Dallas Morning News and Denver Post.